Double-shelf unit



Nov. 3, 1953 w. ISLER 2,657,811

DOUBLE'SHELF UNIT Filed June 25, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Nov. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOUBLE-SHELF UNIT William Isler, Cleveland, Ohio Application June 25, 1948, Serial No. 35,073

9 Claims. (Cl. 211-90) This invention relates, as indicated, to a doubleshelf unit.

Experience in the use of telephones in homes has indicated that a particularly desirable location for a telephone or extension telephone is in the breakfast room, dinette or kitchen, where space is usually at a premium.

The present invention has for its primary object the provision of a novel double-shelf unit or arrangement which facilitates the installation and location of a telephone and auxiliary equipment, such as a telephone index, pad, pencil or telephone directory, in a breakfast room, dinette or kitchen, utilizing space therein which is normally wasted, or of little utility for most purposes.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a double-shelf unit for the purposes stated, which can be easily and quickly clamped to the existing chair rail of the breakfast room, dinette or kitchen, without the use of supporting brackets, and without the necessity of driving nails, screws or other fastening devices into the chair rail or walls of the room, or otherwise marring, scratching or damaging the chair rails or walls.

A further object of the invention is to provide a double-shelf unit of the character described, which projects or protrudes into the room to a very slight extent, and which, in addition to its utility, is ornamental, neat and attractive in apperance.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a double-shelf unit of the character described which consists of a minimum number of parts which can be manufactured inexpensively and in large quantities, by means of simple woodworking and other equipment.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view of a corner of a room, showing the novel double-shelf unit installed therein;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, showing the doubleshelf unit installed in the corner of a room;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showin the manner of installations of th double-shelf unit in the corner of a room not provided with a chair rail.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive of the drawings, reference numerals I and 2 designate the walls of a room which intersect each other at right angles to form a corner of the room. Secured to these walls, and extending therefrom parallel with the floor and ceiling of the room are chair rails 3 and 4, which may be of any conventional form, style or profile, the only requisite being that the upper and lower edges 5 and 6 thereof be of appreciable width, not less than about A", so as to provide ample surfaces for the purposes to be now described.

The double-shelf unit consists of an upper shelf 7 and a lower shelf 8, the upper shelf being disposed directly above and in alignment with the lower shelf. The shelves are identical in all respects, each shelf being substantially in the form of a quadrant of a disk, and each provided with an opening 9 adjacent the corner formed by the intersection of the straight sides of the disk. The opening 9 of the upper shelf 1 may, if desired, be counter-bored to provide a counterbore ID for the head ll of a bolt l2. The unit further includes a butterfly or wing-nut l3, which is threadedly secured to the bolt I2. The double-shelf unit, as thus described, is clamped or attached to the chair rails 3 and 4 in the following manner.

The shelf 1 is placed on the ledges 5 of the chair rails 3 and 4, with the straight edges of the shelf in abutment or substantially in abutment with the walls I and 2 of the room. The shelf 8 is placed in the corner of the room, directly below the shelf 1, with its upper surface in contact with the lower edges 6 of the chair rails 3 and 4, and with the straight edges thereof in abutment or substantially in abutment with the walls I and 2 of the room. With the shelves thus positioned,

and with the holes or openings 9 thereof in axial.

alignment with each other, the bolt I2 .is passed through the openings, with the head I l of the bolt disposed in the counterbore Ill. The wing nut 13 is then secured to the bolt l2, and is drawn up on the bolt until the shelves 7 and 8 are firmly and rigidly clamped to the chair rail.

It will also be apparent that the unit can, without variation or change in any of the component parts thereof, be clamped to chair rails of various heights.

In practice, the straight edges of the shelves are approximately a foot long, While the arcuate front edge of the shelf is described about an arc having the center of the opening 9 as its center. In this manner, the surface area of the shelf is increased to some extent, without substantial 3 variation of the shelf from the form of the quadrant of a circle.

It should also be noted that the clamping bolt I2 and nut l3 are disposed closely adjacent the rear corner of the double-shelf unit, and are virtually concealed from view, so that they do not, in any way, detract from the neat and attractive appearance of the unit.

The upper shelf 1 is particularly adapted for the support of a cradle-type telephone, and the lower shelf 8 is particularly adapted for the support of a telephone index, memorandum pad and pencil, or, if desired, a telephone directory. It will be understood, however, that the upper shelf may be used for other purposes, as for example, for holding a toaster, waffle iron, coffee maker, or other household appliance, or for other articles.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that the double shelf unit facilitates the installation and location of a telephone and auxiliary equipment, such as a telephone index, pad, pencil, or telephone directory, in abreakfast room, dinettle or kitchen, utilizingspace therein which is normally wasted, or of little utility for most purposes.

It will also be apparent that the unit can be easily and quickly clamped to the existing chair rail of the breakfast room, dinette or kitchen,

without the use of supporting brackets, and without the necessity of driving nails, screws or other fastening devices into the chair rail or walls of the room, or otherwise marring, scratching or damaging the chair rails or walls.

In the case of rooms whichare devoid of chair rails or the like, to which the double-shelf unit can be clamped, a dummy chair rail can be employed, which, as shown in Fig. 4, consist of two short wooden bars 3 and 4', which may be se cured, as by nails H, to the walls I and 2 of the room. By using short bars, which are considerably shorter than the length of the straight edges of the shelves 1 and 8, these bars, after the shelves are clamped thereto, are virtually concealed from view, which is an added advantage.

It is to be understood that the form of my-invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example ofthe same, and that various changes in the shape, siz and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with angularh -related chair rails extending to the corner of aroom. a double shelf unit disposed in the corner of said room, the shelves of said unit having straight edges adjacent the walls of the room, and means extending through said unit for clamping said unit to said chair rails.

2. In combination, a pair of angularly-related elements, each having horizontally extending upper and lower edges, a pair of spaced shelves in (ill 4 abutment with said edges, and means extending through said shelves for clamping said shelves to said edges, said means comprising a threaded bolt and a nut.

3. The combination, as defined in claim 2, in which said bolt has a head engaging the upper surface of one of said shelves, and said nut is a wing-nut engaging the lower surface of the other shelf.

4. In combination with vertical walls extending angularly to each other, chair rails secured to said walls and extending to points adjacent the intersection of said walls, said chair rails having horizontally extending upper and lower edges, a pair of spaced shelves in abutment with said edges, and single means clamping said shelves to said edges.

5. The combination, as defined in claim 4, in which said means comprises a threaded bolt and. a nut.

6. The combination, as defined in claim 5, in which said bolt has a head engaging the upper surfaces of one of said shelves, and said nut is a wing-nut engaging the lower surface of the other shelf.

7. The combination, as defined in claim 4, in which said shelves are substantially in the form of quadrants of a disk.

8. In combination with vertical walls extending at right angles to each other, elements socured to said walls and extending to points adjacent the intersection of said walls, said elements being of appreciable height and having horizontally extending upper and lower edges. 0 pair of spaced shelves, one of which rests on said upper edges and the other of which is in abutment with said lower edges, said shelves being of substantially triangular form, with edges thereof substantially in abutment with said walls. and single means clamping said shelves to said odgu.

9. The combination, as defined in claim 8, in which said means comprises a threaded bolt and a nut.

WILIJAMISLER.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 762,888 Decker June 21, 1904 814,811 Speed Mar. 13, 1906 923,721 Smith June 1, 1909 1,286,588 Goodykoontz Dec. 8, 1913 1,654,409 Browne Dec. 27, 192'! 1,930,787 Zimmerman Oct. 17, 1938 2,036,184 Armstrong Apr. 7, mo 2,141,008 Meyer Dec. 20, 1988 2,326,864 Keeshen Aug. 17, 1948 2,473,951 Hickey June 21, 1049 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,473,951 Great Britain Jan. 21, 10a 

